Use an old standby in kids art projects to teach some plant science!
The Art
Remember making leaf prints when you were a kid? Here’s a short procedure:
1. Collect a variety of fresh, green leaves.
2. Provide a large sheet of clean paper. Thin paper works best. You’ll also need some old crayons with the paper peeled off.
3. Place a leaf under the paper. Use the side of the crayon to rub across the paper above the leaf. An impression of the leaf will appear. Encourage your child to push down hard enough to make the stem, veins, and outer edges visible.
4. Continue printing different leaves with different colors to create a collage of leaf prints!
The Science
Okay, so where does the science come in? Use the image below to help your child identify the parts of the leaves on their collage. They can label one or all of the leaves with the different parts.
Explain to your child that the veins in a plant are similar to the veins in an animal. They are used to transport materials throughout the organism. Plant veins are different from animal veins in that they carry water instead of blood.
You can also have your child identify the basic shape of different leaves by comparing the leaf prints to the diagram below:
